


Follow the North Star, and I'll be there

by ladderandsteps



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alien Planet, Aliens, Eventual Happy Ending, M/M, Outer Space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-28 06:26:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11412144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladderandsteps/pseuds/ladderandsteps
Summary: Since he was a child, Arthur told him stories about the nighttime constellations. Out of all the stories he heard, he liked the story of the Little Bear. If it wasn't for Little Bear and the North Star, he would've never met Arthur. Now that Arthur was gone, he could only hope the Little Bear will lead him to the man he loved.





	Follow the North Star, and I'll be there

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, just to clarify, there is a character death in the story (hopefully it is apparent in the very beginning), but don't worry! I like happy endings, and this is kind of a happy ending. If you're okay with that, please read ahead!
> 
> Just as a disclaimer, I don't own Hetalia.

_May 2471, Marshall Space Flight Center, Birmingham, Alabama_

_Time: 9:42 P.M. UTC-5:00_

The monitors around him were buzzing softly. Different colors flashed on the screens before the engineers, while the larger screen briefed everyone about the upcoming space mission. The most novel of its kind.  _Arcas: Mission to Exoplanet Kepler 423α_.

It was a dream he had for almost two hundred fifty years.

Leaning on the wall, he stared at the artist's rendition of the exoplanet. It was known the planet contained liquid water, but it was also rich with expensive minerals and rocks. Mixed with greens and blues, the artist also included a swath of land covered in copper, gold, and diamond.

The mission's enormous cost could be recovered as long as they sent the metal back to Earth.

"Would you like to see," the senior scientist stepped back from the telescope and turned to Alfred. "The nighttime sky is very clear tonight, Mr. America," she smiled as she picked up her pen. Unlike the other scientists who preferred to use the latest technology, Dr. Ride* preferred to use the old-fashioned tools.

Alfred sighed as he pushed himself off the wall. Walking slowly to the telescope, he tipped it towards him and saw the dim star which was approximately 214 light years away in the constellation Ursa Minor. With current day technology, it would take 642 years to go to the planet, and it would take about 1300 years for Earth to get the materials.

He took a step back and observed Dr. Ride as she moved to her tablet. Leaning over the telescope, he entered in new coordinates and changed the filters. He glanced through the lens once again and appreciated the bright star. Over the years, the star grew brighter and brighter, much to everyone's surprise.

Dr. Ride must have seen the changed coordinates because she asked, "Mr. America, what are you looking at?"

"Polaris," he muttered.

If he had any say in this upcoming mission, he would have wanted to go to Polaris. But the other scientists and President mentioned it was in their best efforts to go to Kepler 423 Alpha. He should be happy. At least the planet was in the same constellation as the North Star.

Adjusting the magnification settings, he remembered what Arthur had told him when he was much younger.

"Follow the North Star, and I'll be there, Alfred."

Taking a deep breath, he murmured softly, "I'm following the North Star, but will you be there?"

* * *

_September 1712, Newport Beach, Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations_

_Time: about 2 hours after sunset_

Alfred grumbled as he closed his book. Arthur mentioned that he was going to test him on the material in the book, and he wanted to be prepared. Last time an exam happened, he answered nearly half the questions wrong, and Arthur just smiled and mentioned that Alfred was still a kid.

Picking up candle, he carefully held it so none of the hot wax dripped to his hand. It would be unfortunate to have Arthur yell at him again. Holding onto his blanket, he opened Arthur's door softly. Normally, he would knock, but since it was so late into the night, he decided Arthur wouldn't mind if he just barged in.

"A-Arthur?" he mumbled as he stepped closer to the unkempt bed. He reached forward to touch the figure under the bedsheets, but instead of touching something solid, his hand sunk into the sheets. With a small frown, the blanket slipped out of his hands as he left the room, "Arthur!" he shouted out a bit louder.

The colonists had been talking about some spirits hanging out near the compound.

Even though he didn't like to believe in such childish stories…he couldn't help but be slightly afraid.

Closing the door to their small cottage, he walked around the roads. If Arthur wasn't at home, he was probably somewhere near the ports. He had faintly remembered Arthur mentioning something about waiting for a ship to arrive on the port.

The other colonists saw him and smiled at him. Although they didn't know who he was, they accepted him as a member of the colony very quickly. He was grateful for this. Arthur mentioned how he had to deal with some of his citizens hating him at different points of his life. So far though, everyone loved him.

"Alfred?" he turned and saw a young sailor walking up to him. "What are you doing, up at this time?"

"Arthur," he mentioned softly.

"Ah, your brother?"

When they first came to Newport, Arthur decided to change their cover story. Instead of telling everyone he was Alfred's guardian, he told the colonists of Newport that he was Alfred's older brother. Something, Alfred never really saw in Arthur. Brothers are supposed to stay by your side. Not leave you every other day because "conditions in Europe are worsening."

"He's by the port, speaking to some British envoy, I think," the teen pointed Alfred towards the docks.

"Thank you," he mentioned as he ran, ignoring the fact that the hot wax tipped from the top of the candle.

As he neared the port, he saw the new ship that arrived. Seeing the British flag flying on top, he sighed as he realized that Arthur may have to go back soon. He came only two weeks ago. What was happening in Europe that Arthur needed to go back every two days?

Seeing Arthur's blond hair blow softly in the wind, he smiled as he ran towards Arthur, "ARTHUR!"

Arthur turned to him for a moment, before turning back to the man he was speaking to, "Let's meet again tomorrow. I should have my belongings packed by then."

"Alright, sir, I will see you tomorrow," the man nodded his head as he turned away.

Alfred's shoulders slumped, "Going back to Europe again?"

Arthur remained silent, and Alfred had the answer he needed. Starting to turn around, he felt Arthur's hand wrap around his wrist. Taking the candle out of his hands, Arthur frowned, "You were being careless again. Come," Arthur led him across the port to a small shop, requesting for some aloe vera and gauze.

Carefully applying the gel, Arthur slowly mentioned, "The King wants me to come back because-,"

"Tensions are rising in Europe again?" Alfred grumbled. "Like they always do?" Alfred turned to Arthur and locked his eyes with him. His green eyes showed his anger, but hidden behind the anger was a hint of amusement. Alfred shrugged, "I didn't want you to waste your breath. You have to cross the seas tomorrow, and that's the excuse you use all the time."

"It's not an excuse," Arthur tied the gauze securely. "You don't have too many enemies right now, America," he flinched as he heard his country name. "Enjoy yourself while you are still young." Arthur put the supplies back into the medicine bag and returned it to the shopkeeper.

When he came back, Alfred sighed, "We're going home so you could pack, huh?"

Arthur smiled as he patted Alfred's head softly, "Actually. I want to show you something, so you won't feel lonely for the upcoming months."

As Alfred followed Arthur along the port, he tried to keep up with Arthur's pace. Turning to his "older brother," he frowned, "Months? You won't be coming back?"

"Yes, the King wants me by his side, and I can't refuse him," Arthur brought them over to the shoreline and sat down on the sand. He motioned Alfred to sit down as well, "The sand won't hurt you, lad."

"Of course not!" he grumbled as he fell to the ground. Turning to Arthur, he enjoyed seeing the soft curls at the ends of his hair. Reaching out forward, he fingers brushed a curl, "Your hair curls."

"And so does yours," Arthur chuckled as he reached for Alfred's hair. With a sigh, he fell into the sand and gazed at the sky, "Have you learned about the stories behind the constellations?"

"Constellations?" Alfred turned to sky, wondering where the stories were hidden in the sky.

Arthur smiled as he turned to Alfred, "Alright lad, instead teaching you about politics, I'll teach you about the stories hidden in the stars. Come closer and give me your hand."

Alfred scooted a bit closer and held out his left hand. Arthur wrapped his fingers around Alfred's wrist and had him point to a couple of stars. As he pointed each star, Arthur told him the names of the stars. In the end, Arthur had him trace out the figure hidden in the sky, "Ursa minor," he whispered. "The little bear." Turning to Alfred, he grinned, "It's my favorite constellation."

"Why?" Alfred squinted in the sky. Arthur was a bit nutters if he thought those stars were in the shape of a bear. He would believe it if the constellation was in the shape of a pan, but a bear? Really? Turning his head, he tried to see the outline of the bear…

Hmm…

Maybe if he did a headstand?

"Because it led me to you," Arthur whispered.

Alfred frowned as he sat up, "The pan? What did it do?"

If Arthur noticed Alfred calling Ursa minor a pan, he certainly ignored it. Instead, Arthur sat up and stared at his fingers, "When Tino told me about a little boy hidden in the new lands, I knew I would do everything to find you. But I underestimated the journey." He glanced up at the sky and sighed, "Whenever I was lost, I would stare up into the sky and find comfort in seeing the North Star. If I didn't have the North Star, I don't know if I would have ever met you."

"The North Star?" Alfred turned to the sky and looked at the tip of the handle, the brightest star.

"Yes, Polaris is the more technical name," Arthur took a deep breath, enjoying the scent of sea salt. "If you ever get lonely, Alfred, look up into the sky. The other constellations may come and go, but little bear will always be there for you." He poked Alfred's head affectionately.

* * *

_May 2471, Marshall Space Flight Center, Birmingham, Alabama_

_Time: 10:37 P.M. UTC-5:00_

Alfred stuffed his hands into his pockets as he heard the final briefing for the mission. He was the last man to join the mission. After one of the crew members had to drop out due to family concerns.

"Normally, I like to tell the astronauts that we can't guarantee their survival, but err…," Dr. Collins** scratched his head, "but I guess you're a bit different, Mr. America. You'll probably survive even without the cryopreservation fluid." After a moment of silence, he raised his brow, "Are you sure you want to go on this mission? You can't really get burgers after takeoff."

Alfred snorted as he pulled out his sour blueberry, raspberry lollipop, "It's why I want to sleep through the journey."

No one needed to know the true reason why he preferred going on the mission.

"Oh, righty," Dr. Collins nodded his head. "But there won't be any hamburgers on the planet either." He grinned as he adjusted his smart glasses, "So I decided to pack a couple of hamburger packs. Just add water and shake, and you'll have hamburgers."

"You're the best, Dr. Collins," Alfred grinned. "I'll have a mountain named after you on the new planet."

"I would be honored," he mentioned dryly. "Though do try to name a continent after me instead, if you could, Mr. America."

He glanced down at his tablet and nodded his head, "Oh yeah, before I forget, since you will be using the cryopreservation fluid, you will have to get changed into a proper suit, and you will have to give up all of your belongings."

Dr. Collins glanced up briefly, paying attention to the glowing signs on the sides of the walls, "Eh, if I'm not wrong, we should be heading to the Apollo suite." They went to the end of the hall and went inside the elevator, "The president wants to talk to you." He pressed the button to the seventh floor. "Word is that the president is trying to convince you to get out of the mission. She already set up a replacement once you decide to not go on this mission anymore."

"Typical," Alfred rolled his eyes as they stepped out of the elevator. "I was wondering why she was so silent these past few days."

As they stood right in front of the conference room, Alfred sighed and put the lollipop back in his mouth. He would have to muster up as much charm as he possibly could if he wanted to convince Madame President that he was correct for this mission. As they entered the room, he fully expected to be left alone with the President, but he was surprised to see a man who looked just like him.

Though, instead of wheat blond hair and blue eyes, the man had reddish brown hair and red eyes. He also had a nice tan. But other than that, it was as though Alfred was staring at himself in the mirror. The other guy even wore the same bomber jacket with the number 62*** on the back, and he had the same stubborn cowlick.

The president stood up with a smile, "Ah, Alfred, good to see you." She held out her hand and Alfred took it gingerly, all while staring at his doppelganger. "I want you to meet Allen F. Jones."

"My replacement?" he asked in a small voice. With a determined gaze, he nodded his head, "So, you stepped up to the plate a little sooner?"

Since the years that have gone by, the personifications of each country have changed or disappeared due to geographic changes or due to strains on economies after major wars. After World War III, most of his closest friends disappeared and were replaced.

Ludwig, Francis, Feliciano, Antonio…even Arthur… were all gone…

While it took about two weeks for each replacement to come, it took almost two months for the world to be introduced to Oliver Kirkland. Despite still sharing a deep bond with the country, Alfred could never really become friends with Arthur's replacement.

"Actually Alfred," his president murmured softly. "Allen and I were hoping you would step down from the mission." When he was about to protest, the president placed her hand on his shoulder, "Eight months ago, you told the committee it would be beneficial for you to go on the trip. Your presence should keep our citizens alive, but," she turned to glance at Allen, "He is also a personification of America. I convinced him to take your spot Alfred."

He pushed her hand off and tossed the lollipop in the trash, "Forget it," he snorted.

Although Oliver was capable at leading the country, he wasn't doing a great job. In fact, most of the replacements weren't. Although Oliver knew the history of England, he did not know any of the emotions associated with the land mass. He didn't know the pain of recessions, or famines, or wars. All he knew were the textbook definitions.

"Your knowledge and expertise far outweighs Allen's," his president seethed while narrowing her eyes. "Having you gone will be doing disservice to this country."

"We agreed that I would be going. Besides, if the other replacements managed to rule their respective countries without burning them down, I'm pretty sure Allen here can manage," Alfred crossed his arms.

"If this is about Arthur-,"

"It is not about Arthur!" he nearly screamed. None of this was about Arthur. Stuffing his hands into his pocket, he took a deep breath, "Look, a change in leadership might be good for the country. I can't deal with those pesky replacements. Maybe Allen can deal with Oliver and the others."

"The British cupcake?" Allen cleared his throat as he picked up his baseball bat. Scoffing, his eyes narrowed, "To hell I'm going to deal with him."

"Well you better get used to him  _Mr. America_ ," Alfred seethed as he pulled Dr. Collins out of the room. "Take me to the cryo room, now."

Dr. Collins gulped as he inched away, "I-uh, ha, ha, wish I could, but I serve under the president, Mr. America."

Alfred glanced down at the ground. One of his earliest political lessons with Arthur was learning how to get citizens to trust and believe in you. Even if the leader is at fault. "Dr. Collins, if you still respect me as your country representative, take me to the cryo room, now."

Adjusting his glasses, he nodded his head as he motioned Alfred to follow. Using his keycard, he mumbled how the president could fire him from his job. Alfred had to make a couple of calls to let Dr. Collins be reassured that his job will be with him.

As they walked in the empty halls, Dr. Collins turned to him nervously and asked, "Uh, Mr. America, who is Arthur?"

He stopped walking and glanced at the floor. Arthur was long gone when Dr. Collins was born.

"A friend, I guess," he mumbled.

* * *

_October 1781, Yorktown, Virginia_

_Time: close to sunset_

Rearranging his cravat, he stood a bit taller. Now that he finally surrendered, the war was over and his people achieved what they craved for most.

Independence.

The generals had already briefed him about the causalities from the recent battles and he was not too happy. Now that they won the war, he doubted Arthur would be generous and send him shipments of goods. Francis was his next best choice, but with his recent financial troubles, even Francis seemed like an unreliable source.

It was embarrassing to go up to the man he once thought of as his guardian to try and negotiate terms. But he needed to protect his people.

Knocking on the door softly, he mentally prepared himself to resist all of Arthur's tempting offers.

Arthur was never around in America, but over the past few years, he grew some strange obsession. At first, it started with, "Alfred, you're growing up. Growing countries need to do their part and pay their taxes."

He was very pleased to hear that he would be taxed. Just as Arthur said, it was a sign of him growing and becoming stronger. But after the first wave of taxes, a second wave came, then a third and fourth. Pretty soon, his people were growing restless. Paying taxes meant infrastructure and services would grow, but none of his citizens saw any growth.

All of their well-earned money was spent on paying for a war across the sea.

As the door opened, he was slightly startled to see bandages wrapped around Arthur's torso. His arm also hung on a sling. It was strange. He didn't ever remember having shots fired. Arthur just gave up on the field.

"You," he spat out. "What are you doing here? Come here to boast about your newfound independence?"

"No," Alfred frowned. "Just wanted to make sure trade will not be affect-"

"I've already spoken to the King. We're both tired on your insolent behavior. I've already convinced a few other European countries to stop trade with you," Arthur grunted. "And the damning frog is too poor to even think of buying half way across the world, so good luck managing your finances,  _Mr. America_ ," he spat out the name as if it were acid.

"Well  _Mr. Britain_ , I hope you enjoy showing off your naked body." Arthur started to sputter as Alfred crossed his arms, "Last I remember, you need my cotton."

"I'll buy it elsewhere."

"I'd like to see you try," Alfred challenged. As far as he knew, he was the world's number one producer in cotton.

They had a staring contest. Before the revolution started, Arthur always lost on purpose. Just to see Alfred's smile. But, in this contest, Arthur stood strong. In the end, Alfred's eyes watered and he croaked out, "Why don't we go out to see the stars? You know, like we always do. You can tell me more sappy stories of how you saw the North Star to find me," he blinked after feeling the burn.

"If you can't win a staring contest, you can't win at being a country," Arthur scoffed. "Within ten years, you'll come running back to me crying."

Starting to push the door, Arthur stopped when it was an inch away from Alfred's face, "You never came to Europe have you? Well tell you what lad. Follow the North Star, and I'll be there. Ready to  _mock_  you for your failures."

The door shut on his face.

Alfred resolved right then and there that he would make it. He'll speak to Washington, Adams, Jefferson, all of the patriotic men at the Philadelphia Convention. With their wit and courage, he was sure he would surpass Great Britain one day.

When that day comes, it wouldn't be him running over to Arthur, crying. It'll be Arthur running over to him.

* * *

_May 2471, Marshall Space Flight Center, Birmingham, Alabama_

_Time: 12:19 A.M. UTC-5:00_

With a slow yawn, Dr. Ride picked up the vial with the glowing cryo fluid. She dropped a thin metal rod in the liquid and glanced at the screen to make sure the fluid reached its critical temperature. With another yawn, she turned to Dr. Collins with a glare, "Remind me again why we're doing this in the middle of the night?"

"Because Mr. America wants it?" he rolled his eyes as his fingers danced on his tablet.

"Right," she yawned as she poured the liquid in the side compartment and closed it as she rubbed her eyes. Going back to the table, she reached for the cabinet door.

"I will make sure you are heavily rewarded, Dr. Ride," Alfred softly whispered. In the time since, he changed his attire and now wore a black jumpsuit. Instead of wearing his contacts, he wore his thin wired glasses. If everything went well, in another thirty minutes, he would be frozen and on his way to the exoplanet.

"No need, Mr. America," Dr. Ride mumbled as she pulled out a syringe. She stood on her toes as she reached for a small box. Seeing her struggles, Dr. Collins reached over and handed it to her. After mumbling a small thanks, she collected the fluid in her syringe and turned to Alfred, "This is just a synthetic material that mimics glucose. It should prevent osmotic shock when the cryo fluid begins to take effect."

She stepped closer to Alfred and mumbled, "You're not afraid of shots are you?"

Alfred unbutton his suit near his elbow and exposed that patch of skin, "I grew up in an era of shots." He grunted when he felt the needle go through his skin. "Besides, it's better than what others had to deal with."

Dr. Ride glanced up at Alfred as she pushed on the syringe, "I'm sure you dealt with pretty bad things during the older wars."

"Not that you've had to deal with any worse," he mumbled. Luckily, the synthetic material didn't make him woozy or sleepy.

"I'm sure," she turned to Dr. Collins and nodded her head. He jumped off the table and went to retrieve a helmet.

"Well, since Dr. Collins is getting the helmet, let me just brief you in on the trip. As you may know, the trip will take about 642 years. Once you go under the cryo fluid, you will not be able to wake up until almost one year after the space craft has landed. This is to ensure that the atmospheric conditions are safe for you to be in, as well as to ensure there is nothing very dangerous on the planet. Once the pod receives the signal from the main receiver, the fluid will melt, and it'll take about a week to get consciousness," Dr. Ride patted to the compartment on his right, "I'm slipping your contacts, phone, and a couple of food packs and water in here. Code is 0704."

"What if the pod never receives the signal?" Alfred asked softly. He kind of knew what to expect, but still, it was good to hear those words.

"You'll be frozen, forever, I guess," Dr. Collins entered the room with a helmet and a nervous grin. He motioned to the figure behind him, "The president is here Mr. America, and she wants to speak with you."

* * *

_November 1918, Compiégne, France_

_Time: 11:32 A.M. UTC+1:00_

He threw his arm around Francis and grinned, "Here's to the end of the war!"

After the Germans signed the armistice to end the war, there was a sigh of relief that passed through all of the Allies. Instead of thinking about the next steps, they decided to party. They deserved it after all after a long four years.

Going around, he clinked his glass of beer with generals and soldiers. Making small talk with each and every person, he probably refilled his glass three or four times. Yet, happiness of  _winning_  the war prevented him from losing sobriety.

As he took the last sip of his beer, his eyes flitted around for the last person he had to speak to.

Leaving the party tent, he slowly walked over to the Brit's tent. Without asking for permission-because who asked for permission, nowadays?-he entered. The Brit was already packing his trunk with his clothes and belongings. Taking a step inside, Alfred sat on the bed and cocked his head to the side as he took in his surroundings. It was so plain, unlike his own tent which was decorated in posters of his flag, national landmarks, and his favorite fruit, a red apple.

"Did you pack all of your posters?" he asked.

Arthur jumped slightly before turning around. His green eyes darkened as he took in a sharp breath, "What are you doing here?" he mentioned with a flat affect.

"Don't feel like partying?" Alfred stuffed his hands into his pockets. "All of your generals are out there celebrating."

"Let them celebrate, they earned it," Arthur turned back to his trunk. Pulling out his suit, he decided to roll his clothes to make more space in his trunk. "The real question is, shouldn't you be partying with everyone else as well?"

Alfred sighed and laid down on the bed, "I was partying with everyone else, but then I realized that there weren't any angry eyebrows at the party." When Arthur was silent, Alfred turned to the side, "Yo Britbrows, I was talking about you, so stop packing and come have fun with the rest of us."

"Can't," he closed his trunk and turned to Alfred with a glare. "Unlike you, I am heading to London to start post-war recovery discussions with my government."

"Such a bore," he sat up and rolled his eyes. Artie was always like this. All serious and no fun, especially during the times they should be having fun. "Anyway, I brought a present for you."

The glare from Arthur's face momentarily slipped. Smiling, Alfred reached into his jacket. Before he even joined the war, he noticed that most of the young children packed stuffed bears for the men out at war in Europe. Inspired by them, he went searching for a teddy bear himself.

He wasn't an idiot.

He knew how much Europe was suffering. Since Europe was suffering, Arthur was also suffering.

It took him nearly a year to find the perfect bear. It was the right size, perfect color, had just enough fluff. He was going to pack it up and send it to Arthur that night, but his government had other plans when they decided to enter the war.

Instead of sending it to him, Alfred decided to just give it to Arthur personally. Now that they won the war, it was a perfect occasion.

Pulling out the bear, he gingerly handed it to Arthur and grinned toothily, "A bear for you."

Arthur stared at the bear for a full minute before turning to Alfred to acridly question, "What is this childish item for?"

Alfred placed it into Arthur's arms and thoughtfully sighed, "Well, after my Civil War, I was hurt you even  _thought_  of joining the Confederate forces. I thought I proved to you already that I could handle myself on my own, especially since I didn't come crying to you in a week like you thought I would."

"Some handling you proved, you brought your bloody country to a civil war!" Arthur crossed his arms and glared at a dark pebble on the ground.

Sitting down next to Arthur, Alfred hugged his knees close to himself, "Yes, I admit it was pretty terrible, but I've grown a lot since." He turned to Arthur and whispered, "I'm glad you decided to not join the war."

"My people didn't support it," Arthur refused to meet Alfred's gaze.

"But did you want to join the war?" Alfred pressed. His Civil War ended years ago. Peace-for the most part-returned to his country. Now his states were more united than ever before. It was all good. But, at the back of his mind, he had a small seedling of doubt.

Arthur's index finger began to trace circles on the ground. His fingernail was probably filled with mud, something Arthur absolutely detested. Every time Alfred came home with dirty hands, Arthur would rush him over to the nearest bathroom to wash his hands. They wouldn't leave until his fingernails were spotless.

"No," he whispered softly. Alfred's lips began to curl upwards. This is what he had so desperately hoped for. "I guess I never really wanted war either." Arthur gazed up at him and Alfred noticed the tinge of sorrow that plagued Arthur's eyes, "F-fighting two wars with you was bad enough. I g-guess I was just bitter about 1812."

Alfred leaned over and gave Arthur a hug. After the Revolutionary War, Alfred wanted to hug Arthur. To tell him it would be okay, and that their relationship would still be the same: filled with love, but in a different way. Unfortunately, their feelings and emotions were still raw.

Patting Arthur's back, Alfred muttered, "I never wanted to hurt you, Arthur. Just wanted to show you that I was capable to be by your side. That you didn't need to look after me like I was some child…because I'm not." He moved back and looked at Arthur, square in the eyes, "I know I still have a lot to learn, Arthur. I don't know how to dress or talk fancy like you. I like to do stuff spontaneously, and I know that can bite me in the future, but for now it's been working. I'm stepping out into the public sphere to prove myself to everyone."

Arthur gulped and looked away. He glanced at his dirty fingernail and took a deep breath, "And I suppose you are doing well enough on your own."

"Not  _well enough_ ," Alfred grinned, showing off his white teeth. "I'm doing  _great_ , if I don't say so myself." He patted the bear's head softly, "You taught me to look up into the skies and find Little Bear whenever I'm in trouble. I want you to do the same as well, but instead of looking up into the sky, I want you to keep this little guy with you. Whenever you are in trouble, let me know."

Arthur snorted, "I'm the Great British Empire, I need help from no one, especially not from you."

"How cute," Alfred snickered and leaned over to pinch Arthur's cheek. "Mark my words, Artie. One day, I'll become bigger and stronger than you. In the meantime, keep little Teddy with you."

He stood up, "Until then," he gave Arthur a wink, "you know how to reach me when you need my help!"

* * *

_May 2471, Marshall Space Flight Center, Birmingham, Alabama_

_Time: 12:31 A.M. UTC-5:00_

The president turned to Dr. Collins and Dr. Ride, "I'll only be speaking to him for a moment. Please continue the preparations for his trip."

Dr. Collins was utterly gobsmacked. Walking closer to where Alfred was, he slowly placed the helmet on the side and reached for the bottle of conducting gel. As he squeezed the tube, he paused and raised a brow, "I…you're for real? Or is this just some-,"

"This is not a trick, Dr. Collins," the president sighed. "Though, I do have a few questions for you Alfred. We've known each other for nearly twenty years. I know that is nothing to you, but that is nearly half my life. I would've never even thought of running for presidency if it weren't for you." She pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and pleaded, "I think of you as my best friend, so please tell me the truth."

Alfred's face as hard as stone. She was right. Nearly twenty years back, the president was just a young girl who walked into the political sphere with no background. When everyone else discredited her, he supported her. Something about her reminded him of the first few colonists he knew. Someone filled with hopes and dreams for the country.

"Are you going on this trip to find Arthur?"

Dr. Ride and Dr. Collins both looked over towards Alfred with interest.

"I thought you knew Arthur was a sore subject," Alfred mentioned monotonously. If he were more careful, he could've been able to hide Arthur more easily from the president.

She took a deep breath, "I know Arthur is a sore subject. I don't want to know your feelings for Arthur, I just want to know if you are-,"

"If I'm going on this mission for the sole purpose of Arthur?" Alfred's eyes started to become cloudy. "No, I'm not going on this trip to find Arthur, I'm going on this trip to fucking forget about him. Maybe if I'm on a different planet, I'll finally move on. Move on from him, Francis, Ludwig, Feli…"

Dr. Ride cleared her throat and adjusted her glasses, "With all due respect Mr. America, nowhere in this mission will you get amnesia."

The president sighed, "And what if you go to the new planet and realize you still remember everyone?"

Alfred stayed silent. Truthfully, he never exactly thought that far. Going on this trip was a dream for him for so long that somewhere along the way, he forgot why he wanted to even be a part of this trip. Sure, he would be asleep for a very long time, but there was something more.

"Arthur's last words to me were, 'Follow the North Star, and I'll be there,'" he finally said the words out loud, already feeling the tremendous weight leave him.

The president cocked her head to the side, "I hate to be a downer, but what if you don't meet him?"

With a sigh, he gazed up at the ceiling, "Then I'll be thrilled that I tried."

The last time he saw Arthur's smile, it was a completely different world. One of happiness and joy. Most of them were finally putting their differences aside. It was a thrilling time to be alive.

"Go."

Alfred turned to face the president with mild shock. Taking a deep breath, the president nodded her head, "Go on this mission. It's better to have tried than to have failed," she blushed slightly, "At least that's what you always told me. It would be cruel to keep you chained to this world. So go, find Arthur."

He nodded his head slowly. For the first time this night, his future seemed bright, "Thank you."

* * *

_September 2298, Paris, France_

_Time: 4:32 P.M. UTC+1:00_

Alfred stared at the man that sat across him with a slow grin. Whatever he had hoped for their relationship to become, he received much, much more. Over the years, their bond solidified and grew into something that was completely and irrevocably unprecedented.

Just the other day, their leaders were toying around with the idea to have dual British and American citizenship.

It was a stark change in political ideology, especially considering their shared political history. But it was something the others had predicted for a long, long time. In fact, some even questioned why they didn't make it truly official. Their relationship spanned for the centuries, so it was only fit to introduce themselves as boyfriends to the rest of the world.

When he felt Arthur's foot rub against his ankle, he closed his eyes and promised himself that he would make it official tonight. He had the flowers, chocolate, and dinner all set up and ready. If all went well, which everyone reassured it would, he would finally be able to call Arthur as his boyfriend.

When Arthur's foot trailed a bit too high, he sent a glare in Arthur's direction. Honestly, they were in a meeting and Arthur was using his silly tactics to distract him. When he saw a small smirk in the Brit's face, Alfred's mouth curled in disapproval. Arthur, his little sweetheart, needed some discipline.

Using his other leg, he slowly trailed up Arthur's leg and glanced down at his notes with a grin. Once his feet reached the top of Arthur's leg, he tried to hide his grin. Let's see how well Arthur could hide his moans.

"Now, who would like to help me pass out the information guides I've created?" his brother Matthew announced to the crowd. With some little help, Matthew has been making the effort to be seen on the public domain, and it was largely working. Almost everyone knew about him now, and nearly everyone who knew him loved him as well.

Arthur grinned as he stepped up, "I would love to!" Arthur turned to Alfred and gave him a sly look.

Alfred frowned as he continued to work his magic with his foot. That was funny. Arthur was sauntering away from him. Couldn't possibly be Arthur if Alfred was clearly working at a cushion-y lap. When Arthur placed the information guide in front of Alfred, he leaned in close and whispered, "That's a wonderful lap, isn't it?"

Alfred nodded his head, "Yeah it is-," his eyes grew wide as he snapped his attention towards Arthur. If Arthur was standing right next to him, then who…? He glanced under the table and immediately started to curse.

When he came up again, he heard Arthur mutter, "So, how was it playing footsie with Mr. Cuba?"

"As long as he doesn't recognize it's me," Alfred hid his face in his hands and quickly retracted his foot. He prayed to all of the gods he knew, ancient and current.

After the long, dull meeting (sorry Matthew, but learning about the maple leaf socks was not really that interesting), Alfred quickly rushed out and searched for Arthur. He intended to spend the whole day with his future boyfriend. Some day in the future, both of them could look back at this day with smiles plastered on their faces.

When he saw the Brit, he wrapped his fingers around Arthur's wrist and grinned at Arthur, "Want to eat gelato by the Seine?"

Arthur returned the grin, "Sure."

They bought the gelato-Zuppa Inglese for Arthur and Stracciatella for Alfred. As they walked down the Parisian boulevards, Alfred held to Arthur's hand tightly. As Arthur pointed out some buildings and shops, Alfred subtly led them towards the Pont des Arts bridge. Although they couldn't put the locks on the bridge, he had another plan entirely.

"Francis is doing a terrific job," Arthur licked his gelato. "Even with the technological breakthroughs, I can still see the Paris of the past."

With a soft smile, he praised Arthur as well, "Well you aren't doing so shabby yourself. You've taken good care of London."

As they stepped onto the Pont des Arts bridge, Alfred stared into the sky with a grin. The sun was dropping quickly in the horizon. Mixes of orange and yellow colored the bluish sky.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Arthur hummed in appreciation as he finished the last of his cone.

"Not as beautiful as you," Alfred added.

Arthur glanced at him for a moment and rolled his eyes. Leaning on the railing, he mused, "You know, a couple of hundreds of years ago, this bridge had love locks."

Alfred hummed as he leaned on the railing, too. He picked this bridge for that sole reason. Although they couldn't put on the locks, he knew there wasn't anything against the rules for throwing a key overboard. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the custom made lock that had both of their flags.

Pulling Arthur close, he handed the lock to Arthur and whispered, "Let's throw the key in the Seine."

"And the lock?" Arthur gazed up at Alfred.

"We'll keep it as a memento," Alfred leaned down and kissed Arthur's forehead gently. After this, they would go to the restaurant where they would have music and chocolate and flowers.

Arthur glanced down at the key and smirked, "Alright, a chance to pollute Paris. Francis will have a mini heart attack," Arthur glanced up at Alfred with excitement, "I approve!"

Turning to the Seine, Arthur threw the key into the river. Alfred watched the ripples in the water. It was a testament of their relationship. Turning to Arthur, he took a deep breath. Now was the perfect time to bring him to the fancy restaurant.

"Arthur, I have something important to tell you," not exactly the start he had envisioned, but close enough. "I want to-,"

Arthur placed his index finger on Alfred's lip and turned to look at the water over the bridge. The sky was getting prettier by the minute especially since there was a light purple streak. Arthur leaned over the railing and muttered, "Look Alfred, I know exactly what you were planning on doing. The dinner, the food, the confession…now's not the time though."

He could feel his heart slowly breaking. He was so sure that Arthur reciprocated his feelings. That the Special Relationship was truly a "special" relationship instead of just mere political ties. Taking a step back, he was about to turn away and head over to his room. Perhaps Matt would want to join in on his "pity me" party, and they could eat a hella ton gelato.

"I'd rather not have the confession take place in Paris of all places," Arthur turned to him and wrinkled his nose, "terribly cheesy, if you understand what I mean."

"No, I get it, it's a reject-,"

"Confess to me where we first met, Al," he turned around and leaned on the railing. Sporting a silly smile, he gazed up into the sky, "Confess to me, and I won't say no. We can finally become  _one_ ," the last word rolled on his tongue.

Alfred had to resist squealing for joy. Arthur grinned at him and shrugged, "Can't let Francis have the satisfaction of knowing we made our relationship official in his country. He would mock me for the years coming."

"Dinner tonight then?" Alfred nudged Arthur and pouted, "I had so many romantic plans."

Arthur hummed and nodded his head, "Let's turn those romantic plans into a celebration then." Leaning in closer, he teased, "Last night of being single men. How about it?"

"Love it!" Alfred swooped in to hug Arthur. Sure, he wouldn't be able to call Arthur his boyfriend by the end of night as he had planned. But it didn't matter because Arthur reciprocated those feelings as well. It was enough for him.

A small ping was heard and Alfred took a step back as Arthur pulled his phone out. Staring at the screen for a second longer, Arthur glanced up with a deep frown, "Al…my prime minister wants me in London to discuss something important," he glanced down at his phone screen again and grew conflicted. "I-I hope you don't m-mind if dinner has to wait."

He placed his fingers underneath Arthur's chin and raised Arthur's head slowly, "Arthur, I waited centuries for you," he forced his lips to curve upwards. He may not like the disruption, but he did understand. He was a country as well. "I think I can wait an extra night for you." He pulled Arthur into a tight hug, "But tell that Prime Minister of yours that you're all mine tomorrow."

"Sure," he laughed. With a slow wave, Arthur turned around and started to walk off the Pont des Arts bridge. As Alfred stared at Arthur's back, he pulled out his phone and snapped the moment. It would make a great screensaver until tomorrow at least. Tomorrow, he would use a picture of them together.

Suddenly he frowned. Where were they supposed to meet again? Cupping his mouth with his hands, he shouted, "Hey Arthur!" Arthur turned around. "Where are we meeting in my country again?"

Arthur rubbed at his chin thoughtfully, "Since the field we first met in is now filled with buildings, why not meet at the beach?" He glanced up at the stars and smirked as he turned to Alfred, "Follow the North Star, and I'll be there, Alfred."

Alfred blew him an air kiss, "I'll be waiting for you!" Arthur nodded his head as he caught the flying kiss.

As Arthur's form disappeared, he felt his own phone vibrate.

As perfect as the day started, it ended up being a bitter disaster. His president requested him to take the private jet to DC immediately, and after the three hour journey, he was briefed in on the recent developments and tensions in the world. Although the population was stabilizing, it strained the allocation of resources.

At 1:42 A.M. in Eastern Standard Time, he heard the news that the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Austria declared war. Four and a half hours later, the U.S. joined the war as well. Seventeen countries in the beginning, that number ballooned to almost 147 at the height of the war.

If he had known it was the last time he would see Arthur, he would have done something more. He would have confessed to Arthur, he would have held Arthur, he would've done so, so much more.

Since the war started, they only sent texts, that too limited texts since they were on different war fronts.

Two years since the war first started, he received a text he wished he had never read. It was from Francis. No emojis, no punctuation, nothing. Just the words:

_I am sorry Alfred_

* * *

_DATE UNKNOWN, PLACE UNKNOWN_

_Time: UNKNOWN_

Groaning, he started to rub tiny circles on his temple. As he slowly opened his eyes, he hissed as he was blinded by the light. Placing his left hand in front of his face, he reached around the wet liquid and hoped his glasses didn't float away. When his fingertips brushed cool metal, he grinned and placed his glasses on his face, ignoring the cryo goo that fell over his face in the process.

As he stood up, he glanced around his surroundings. His pod somehow escaped from all the others since he didn't exactly see the main ship anywhere around. Glancing down at the ground which was a couple of feet away, his mouth curled in distaste.

Out of all the places his pod could've landed, a tree? Really? And this planet honestly had to have hella tall trees. Wiping away the goo from his glasses, he stepped onto the tree branch and stared at the blue pines that grew out of the black bark. Touching a pine, he almost slipped from the branch when it pulsated and revealed a bright yellow on the inside.

Was this a leaf?

The leaf-or whatever it was-stopped pulsating and turned back into a pine. Sighing, Alfred stared off into the distance, but really saw nothing but trees in the far distance. Sighing, he turned to his pod and entered the key code. It was as if not a day had passed since he was talking to Dr. Ride, Dr. Collins, and the president.

As the compartment opened, he sighed in relief when he saw that Dr. Ride almost packed him some spare clothes and a backpack. Stuffing everything into the backpack, he reached for his tiny gadget and pointed it towards the sun, in his other hand was a small dagger. Dr. Ride mentioned he would be able to access the database as long as he had light.

"Come on," he urged. "Tell me if the journey was a success."

Glancing around, he scratched his head. He could jump, but it would be a hell of a jump and his bones may even break in the process. Kicking the pod off the branch, he timed the fall and deemed that he was at least a hundred feet above the ground. That is, considering gravity was the same here as in Earth. Slowly reaching for the other branch, he crossed trees and analyzed his surroundings.

If the tree stumps were so big, he could've just climbed down one of them. But his best bet was probably jumping on to lower branches until he could make the jump to the ground. The only disadvantage to using the method was that he would not be able to use the widget to find out where he was and where the others were.

Jumping on to the next branch, he thought out loud, "I wonder how life on Earth is. Have we colonized another planet?" Using a blue vine, he swung to his next branch. He supposed that landing in a dense forest was better than crashing landing into an open desert right next to a monster.

As he took his next step, he felt something wrap around his ankle. Glancing down, he let out the most manliest scream he possibly could. This stupid monster had like thirty thousand eyes and had reds, and blues, and yellows, and greens. And doesn't that symbolize poisonous colors?! God, he's going to die even before he reaches the others and it is going to be a pathetic death.

Swiping his dagger at the monster, he didn't realize that he lost all balance. Once the monster retracted its tentacle (?), he dropped from the trees, and as he reached for the branches, the branches all curled away from him. Curled away from him! The trees were all alive!

Landing on the ground unceremoniously, he groaned as he stared up at the sliver of sky he could see. When he saw blue, he groaned with happiness.

Good, there was something familiar about this unfamiliar planet.

As he stood up, he groaned when he saw the dirt sticking onto his body because of the goo. He would need a shower, fast. Sighing, he pushed past the branches while being careful of the little pine needles. He glanced down at his widget hoping it would tell him exactly where he was in the universe.

As he raised his head, his eyes widened at a light source. Running towards it, he heard the sound of crashing water. Crashing water!  _Water!_  Running over to the light with excitement, he nearly dropped to his knees when he saw a tall waterfall.

A bath!

Running over to the water, he saw his reflection and winked at it. Reaching into the water, his fingertips almost grazed the water before retracting slowly. Staring into the water, he removed his backpack and hoped Dr. Ride or Dr. Collins packed a couple of pH strips. It would be a pity if this was a chemical lake or something. When he saw the small strips, he grinned and dipped a strip into the lake.

pH of 7.

He was good. Removing his jumpsuit, he dipped into the water and sighed as the cool water slapped against his body. Reaching into his backpack, he took out the travel sized shampoo and body wash bottles. After his nice bath, he'll scavenge through the lands and figure out where he is.

He kneaded the shampoo into his hair with a slow grin. Dipping into the water, he opened his eyes and screamed when he saw the largest fish equivalent monster he had ever seen. Jumping out of the water, he clutched onto his heart and took slow shallow breaths. Spitting out the water, he clutched to his stomach, "That's water, alright."

Crawling over to the water he glanced over and immediately jumped back when the monster goldfish showed off its fangs.

"Bath time, is over, I guess," he slipped into his clothes and ignored how wet they were. He could deal with a little wet, especially since it wasn't a mixture of goo and dirt. Sitting next to a tree stub, he held out his widget and angled it so it would receive the most amount of sunlight.

One thing was for sure.

This was certainly not Kepler 423α. Kepler 423α was supposed to have only a single sun, but this planet had two. One large star and a much smaller one that was about a couple of degrees to the left.

As the widget whirred, he stood up and glanced around his surroundings. So used to seeing buildings and people, he was a little bit surprised to see the swath of empty land. There were a couple of creatures flying around in the sky, here and there. But it was mostly empty. Plucking out a blade of grass he twisted it around and admired the purplish blue color.

"No chlorophyll on this planet, huh," he adjusted his glasses and observed the other vegetation. Most of it was either a shade or purple, or a shade of blue. "Should've paid attention to Tony," he muttered. Dropping the blade to the ground, he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. Laughing slightly, he already imagined the cheesy lines he could tell Matthew, "Blades of grass as purple as your eyes, Mattie."

Matthew. He was still back on Earth, last he knew.

"Testing complete."

Alfred crawled over to the widget and read through the mini analysis. From the looks of the coordinates, he was only a couple of degrees away from Polaris. And his trip only lasted 400 years instead of the expected 642 years. They followed Polaris alright. Though, their trip was much shorter than they had originally anticipated.

Leaning forward, he glanced up at the sky. He couldn't really see anything. No planets close by.

Walking towards the open field, he dug a hole and planted the widget inside. Pulling up the antenna, Alfred pressed the black switch and hoped it would scope the area. Maybe it would tell him where his friends are. Taking a step back, he stiffed when he felt something solid press against his back.

Holding his hands up in surrender, he turned slowly as gasped when he saw men. At least what he believed to be was the equivalent of a human man. There were five men in total, all wearing armor, covering their faces. The one in front of him was slightly shorter than him, but since he was closer, he could see stripes of blue on the man's skin wherever the armor was not present.

"Zua, xjisi esi vji uvjist?" the man ground out.

Alfred blinked slowly and laughed nervously, "Uh…I come in peace?"

One against five wasn't looking too good. Especially since the other five had weapons.

The man turned around and angrily yelled out, "Vjot cetvesf ot tqieloph puptipti!"

"Muwopu, lott jon!" another man barked out.

The man in front of him snorted, "O en puv lottoph jon!"

With a sigh, another man pushed the man in front of him. Staring at Alfred's face for a moment, he placed his hand on the back of Alfred's head and pushed him closer until they were kissing****. His eyes widened as the alien dude rolled his tongue against Alfred's lips. Alfred tried to push him off, but the man was much stronger than he had originally anticipated. Finally relaxing, he opened his mouth to the alien in slight disgust.

He supposed kissing the alien was better than being killed by it.

Though, he had always imagined his first kiss to be with Arthur.

As their tongues danced, the man took a step back and pushed Alfred to the ground. Pointing his baton at Alfred, the man ground out, "What are you doing here, invading our planet?"

Alfred blinked for a moment. Was the alien speaking to him in English? He could've sworn that he heard gibberish all these moments before. Was it all a lie? Maybe he just had a brain blast and started to understand the alien language.

"Lomm jon, Esvjas!" someone barked behind him.

Yep, he didn't know shit. He probably imagined that the creepy alien dude was talking to him.

He felt the sharp metal of the baton press against his neck, "State your name alien, who are you and why are you here?"

Alfred snapped his head towards the creepy alien dude. Pinching his wrist, he slowly asked, "Did you just speak to me in English? That too with an American accent?"

The widget next to him beeped and started to speak. Paired with Tony's technology, the widget truly knew every inch of space. This was good if he knew exactly where he was. "We are currently in the Planet-,"

Someone in the group turned around and shot an arrow at the widget. Watching it burn to ashes, Alfred just really wanted to cry in exhaustion. Stupid aliens! Turning to the man in front of him, he shouted, "Why the hell did you shoot the widget."

"Answer my question first," the man mentioned solemnly. If armor wasn't covering more than half of his face, he might have seemed much more likeable. Unfortunately, Alfred didn't want to reveal shit to someone who looked like the metal man. Metal man dropped to his knees and leaned in close, causing Alfred to inch away slowly, "Tell us why you are here, and we won't incinerate you like we did with the rest."

"Incinerate!" he shouted. "Why the hell would you incinerate us?"

Some of the other men pointed their arrows over at him. Metal man raised his hand and muttered something under his breath, causing the men to drop their arrows. Turning to Alfred, metal man lashed out, "We probably incinerated you because your people wanted to usurp our home." Metal man pointed his baton to Alfred's chest and it began to glow yellow, "Tell us the truth and we'll think about letting you go."

He knew the truth, but he didn't know if metal man would believe him. For some reason, saying, "We just wanted all of your minerals and metals," didn't exactly sound like a good reason. It certainly violated all sorts of human rights laws back on Earth.

"Our spaceship ran into trouble and we kind of crash landed?" he feebly managed to say. It was a terrible excuse, but it was the best he could think of.

When a horn sounded, one of the men yelled out, "Esvjas! Vji Raiip ot demmoph!"

Metal man turned to them and motioned something with his right hand as he reached into his pockets. Pulling out a metal block, he snapped it onto Alfred's wrists and pulled him up by the collar. The other men had already left the clearing, while metal man was trained right next to him.

"Where are you from, alien?" metal man asked as he pushed Alfred forward using his baton.

"Earth," hopefully these strange creatures would never make it to the planet.

Metal man hummed as they walked through the forests. Alfred glanced around for the other men, but became surprised when he saw no one, "Where are the others exactly?"

"Going to the Raiip to serve her," metal man glanced around the forest.

"Who exactly is the Raiip?"

"In your language, it would be the queen," the man whistled and waited. Turning to Alfred, he softly muttered, "Look alien, if I give you the supplies, will you be able to build your ship and leave the planet? Our Raiip doesn't exactly enjoy looking at such strange creatures."

"You're the strange one," he muttered under his breath. "And sure…it'll take me a couple of weeks depending on the condition of the space ship though. Maybe even months if I'm the only one building it…"

"I am not giving you months, alien," the man seemed to brighten up as a unicorn galloped towards them. Alfred's eyes widened as he stepped closer to the being. He could've sworn he saw the unicorn before. In one of Arthur's paintings.

Metal man turned to Alfred, "I'm taking pity on you alien. If you don't build your ship within three weeks, I'm taking you to the palace to hang you." He helped Alfred get on the unicorn and turned to Alfred, "Until then, you will stay at my cottage."

As Alfred held close to metal man's body, he adjusted his glasses and mumbled, "My name is Alfred."

"Huh?"

"Alfred," he repeated. "Not alien."

He stared down at the planet and was shocked to see bright purple and blue. Made sense since most of the vegetation was a purplish blue, but it was still shocking. There was no green in sight. His shoulders slumped slightly. This planet seemed to be doing a great job so far. He didn't see one thing green so far to remind him of Arthur's eyes.

Suddenly, they started their descent, and Alfred clutched onto metal man's body. As they fell in altitude, he blanched when he saw the green cottage. Perhaps he spoke too soon.

Once they landed metal man jumped off and helped Alfred off as well. Entering the house, he announced, "Alright Alfred, you'll stay here with me for the time being." Metal man snatched Alfred's backpack and flipped it upside down. He reached for the packets of food and turned them around slowly. When he reached for the phone, Alfred lunged and pulled it away from him.

Metal man glanced at him curiously. Dropping his eyes to the ground, Alfred muttered, "It has some pretty personal stuff." After the kiss with metal man, he didn't exactly feel comfortable with having metal man see his precious Arthur.

Metal man nodded his head slowly, "Very well then." Glancing out of his window, he muttered, "What types of metals do you think you'll need?"

Alfred shrugged, "Iron, copper, aluminum?"

Metal man turned his back to Alfred and took off his helmet, revealing his golden hair. It was slightly comforting to know that the aliens had pretty normal hair colors. "Alright, since you still don't know you're way around this planet, I'll just go out and buy you the supplies you need." Metal man reached for something that distinctly looked like a bow. "If anyone comes, tell them I'll be back soon."

Alfred nodded his head as he looked away. Pressing a button on his phone, he unlocked it and sifted through his camera roll. The first picture on his camera roll was of Arthur while he was eating a scone and drinking tea. His thumb pressed against Arthur's face.

"What's your name by the way?"

"Esvjas," metal man said. "Though in your language, it would be Arthur."

Alfred froze as he slowly glanced up. Metal man-err Esvjas-used that exact moment to turn around as well. He glanced down at his phone and saw the grumpy frown on the Brit's face. Glancing up, he held his hands to his face.

Same cheek structure, same hairstyle, same eyes…

If he wasn't aware of the fact that he was in a different planet, he would have thought Arthur was standing right in front of him.

…

…

…

_"Follow the North Star, and I'll be there, Alfred."_

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this will be a slightly long Author's Note as I explain a few things.
> 
> * Sally Ride was the first woman to fly to space, so I thought I would honor her  
> ** Michael Collins was the pilot for the Apollo 11 spaceflight. We usually hear about Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, but I wanted the pilot to be known  
> *** I believe 454 years from now, the US would have added a couple more states into the Union. 62 was just a random number that I picked.  
> **** My first fandom ever was Teen Titans. So this "kiss to learn a language" is a nod to Starfire and how she first learned English through Robin
> 
> Now, moving on to the language of the aliens. They were speaking in English this whole time. I just used cryptography and designed my own code to shuffle up the letters so it wasn't discernible anymore. Here's what they said in the order of the dialogues:
> 
> 1: You, where are the others?  
> 2: This bastard is speaking nonsense!  
> 3: Lovino, kiss him!  
> 4: I am not kissing him!  
> 5: Kill him, Arthur!  
> 6: Arthur! The Queen is calling!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you liked this long one-shot!


End file.
